Disneyland is a magical place. Happiest place on earth, right? For a three-year old it can be all kinds of wonderful — and overwhelming. We just returned from a fun family trip to Anaheim with our preschooler and his two big brothers. I offer you a few tips from my own experience and a few friends who guided my travels.

Favorite rides and attractions for a small person

Just being pushed through the park is a terrific sensory experience. Sawyer saw giant characters — most of which he did not recognize — being friendly and inviting. If you ask him, he’ll tell you he loved every minute of it. Here are a few of his favorite attractions:

Disneyland

The monorail runs from near the Disneyland Hotel in Downtown Disney right into the park at Tomorrowland and riding it was a big hit. If you ask nicely, you might even be able to ride up front. Strollers must be collapsed.

Once you’re in Tomorrowland, drive small cars around Autopia, check out Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and fly the Astro Orbiter (just like the Dumbo ride with a different skin).

In Toon Town, Sawyer loved running around all over. It’s a great place to explore and climb on the giant play structures. Our kids and adults loved poking around Mickey’s House, though we bailed on waiting in the line to actually meet him. Gadget’s Go Coaster was just on the edge of Sawyer’s comfort zone.

It’s a small world, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant were big hits for us in Fantasyland.

The Disney railroad makes 4 stops along the perimeter of the park. It can serve as a fun ride or transportation to get back to the main gate. We took the train when our big brothers were on a roller coaster. Stroller ramps are at all stations except the main gate.

California Adventure

Did you already know that California Adventure is across a wide courtyard with completely separate admission prices and rides? It is less nostalgic if you grew up loving old-fashioned Disney characters, but if your version of childhood has a little more Pixar thrown in, odds are very good that the Cars characters are your warm safe place.

Bug’s Land is the best place to enjoy with your three-year old. All the rides are toddler- and preschooler-friendly. And my nine-year old had fun, too. We rode Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, Francis’ Ladybug Boogie (a gentle spinny ride), Flik’s Flyers, and Tuck and Roll’s slow-moving bumper cars. On a hot day, there’s a splash park, too.

Luigi’s Flying Tires and all the amazing characters were just Sawyer’s speed.

Radiator Springs Racers was a little more than he wanted, but he said he loved it — and it is my favorite ride!

Cam Bowman, who writes the Growing up Goofy blog, says her toddler’s favorite rides include the Casey Junior Train and twirling Teacups. {More tips for toddler-friendly Disneyland from Cam}

Silicon Valley mom Amy Heinz told me that her three-year-old daughter’s favorites were the Monorail, Mater’s Tractor Jamboree, Small World, Jungle Cruise, and the little water slides at the Disneyland Hotel. She carried her lovey with her and put it over her eyes or ears when she was overwhelmed (smart girl!). {More tips for Disneyland with sensitive kids from Amy}

So, how’s the food?

Nearly every food stand and restaurant has some version of a toddler meal or snack. Many of them are even healthy (carrots, apple slices, berries, hummus, etc.). Most vendors offer some form of souvenir upgrade that you may want to avoid or indulge in. Serve my mac and cheese in a Lightning McQueen lunchbox? Please and thank you (well, not in my family).

You can now bring your own snacks. Do it. Kristal Kupferman, mom of two, suggests packing some favorite healthier non-perishable snacks and interspersing them throughout the day between fun new treats (Dole whip float, Mickey beignets, giant pickle).

Whitney offered up carrots and goldfish crackers as a distraction during long lines when her son was this age.

I cannot tell you what your picky-eating three-year old will prefer, but Kristal’s family’s food gems were: the Village Haus restaurant in Fantasyland (was tucked away but had a great menu and kids meals including a toddler meal!) and the Bengal BBQ by Indiana Jones serves super yummy skewers my kids ate (even the bacon wrapped asparagus they loved!). Whitney and I swear by those reasonably priced skewers, too.

Note that the toddler servings of Mac and Cheese are truly toddler sized. If your three-year old puts away food like a five-year old, order more. If your three-year-old eats three noodles and wanders away from the table, this is the right size for you.

Insider tips

Measure your kid before you go. My three-year old is 40″ tall which enabled us to bring him on many age-inappropriate rides that the rest of the family was excited to do, most notably: Radiator Springs Racers and Star Tours. Check the height restrictions and measure your own child before you end up with some tantrums in line. We did think better of dragging him on some of the truly scary roller coasters that he could have ridden. Common sense, people!

Plan ahead and then go with the flow. As with any travel adventure with little ones, you are not the real boss of the itinerary. Amy suggests the Disneyland Attractions section of the website to come up with your must-do list ahead of your visit.

Is your child afraid of the dark? Amy reminds us that many of the “everyone” rides at Disneyland are in the dark. If your child is scared when the lights go out, you might want to avoid Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Even the train has some spooky tunnels. Whitney still feels guilty for taking her son on Pinocchio: it was terrifying for him. Note that many of the California Adventure kiddo rides are lighter and brighter.

Use the performances as down-time. The staff (AKA cast member) will hand you a schedule of shows and parades on the way in. Grab it! There is a theater in the new section of Fantasyland with great stage shows throughout the day. Kristal suggests walking by; even if you choose not to go in and sit down, you can catch a few minutes of entertainment from a distance, perfect for when your parenting brain needs a break from map-reading.

Leverage the “Rider Switch”. Amy recommends the rider switch program that lets both parents ride some of the bigger rides without waiting in line twice. Visit Growing Up Goofy to learn how the Disney Rider Switch Service works. I can’t believe I forgot to do this. Doh!

Bring a stroller with a canopy. Having a set of wheels enables you to move long distances quickly, shield a napping (or just plain overwhelmed) child, haul your stuff, or eat snacks on the go. Disneyland rents strollers for a $15/day, but just bring one if you still have it.

Prepare for potty problems. Our friend Kristal put her potty-trained four-year old in pullups for the day just in case, and it made all the difference when they were just minutes from getting on a ride. She packed a Ziploc bag of extra clothes in the stroller as well as another Ziploc with all of the diapering supplies, and they made frequent trips to bathrooms.

They’re called “cast members”. The Disney staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. If you need to find a lost child, replace a balloon, get to the performance in time and you’re feeling confused, nearly any of the Disney team will cheerfully point you in the right direction. Seriously, I tested it. I also used Google maps walking directions to get to a few places in a hurry (and looked like a huge goober doing it!)

Other details to plan a visit

RATES: Children under age 3 are FREE; ages 3-9 are a discounted price; ages 10 and up pay the adult price. This is the standard rate page for park tickets, but there so many variables and discounts, I can’t even start.

HOURS: Opening and closing times vary throughout the year. Some guests of the on-site hotels can enter the park one hour early for “Magic Hour”

We sure love our DVRs and Netflix, but refuse to give up on going to the theater. Did you know some theaters also have special showings for new parents? These showings have different names in different cities, but the idea that yours will not (most likely) be the loudest baby in the movie theater is the common thread.

I thought I was pretty magical when I sat in a movie theater while doing my first in public breastfeeding (without crying!) when Julian was 5 weeks old. (This mistakenly led Heather, my 19-weeks pregnant escort, to believe that nursing is easy.) Both of our firstborns were frequent attendees of “Baby Brigade” during their first year.

Stroller matinees are a good early outing for freaked out new parents. Crying is totally allowed.

This is your ninth weekly rookie mom challenge. Even if you cannot find a mom and baby movie in your area, consider taking a risk on an 11 am showing. Heather and I brought baby Milo to Knocked Up while I was super pregnant with Scarlett. We saw the first show of the day and only one other person was in the theater. Milo stayed in his carseat for much of the movie and when he got sick of that, Heather held him up on her lap facing the movie. The volume at the theater is much louder than any grunting or fussing that tiny babies do.

Moms need other moms. Without a network of mom friends, we get critical information about motherhood a little too late.

When, four weeks after giving birth to Julian, I confided to my friend Julie that I was still wearing maternity clothes, she said I would be wearing them for three or four months after the baby was born. Well how was I supposed to know that? I thought there was something wrong with me because I left the hospital looking seven months pregnant, and the weight didn’t “melt away” from breastfeeding around the clock for four weeks.

Later that week, through a new mother’s support group in Berkeley, I met nine other women who had babies within six weeks of me, and they became my lifeline. Although as reader Cheryl wrote on our Facebook page, “Just because someone else is a mom does not necessarily mean they would make a good friend,” finding even one or two people who are sharing your experience is a worthwhile investment.

So, how do you find these new best friends? (No pressure!)

Here are ten places where new moms can meet other moms.

Meet Up is an excellent resource, and Heather posted about it last week. Those not brave enough to start their own will likely find an existing group by searching for “moms” and the name of their town.

Mom and Baby yoga classes involve less yoga than your average fitness class and more introductions with other students. Since taking yoga with Scarlett years ago, I’ve seen the moms from that class over time as our kids have grown into camps and classes and have enjoyed telling the kids that they took yoga together in diapers.

La Leche League meetings are designed to support breastfeeding moms and offer a mom network. Like any organization, the vibe may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Use their interactive map to find a group that meets near you.

Fit4Mom and Baby Bootcamp classes are heart-pumping workouts during which moms push babies in strollers. I’m a fan of working out with baby, and even if I wasn’t confident enough to swap phone numbers with any of the women in the classes I took, I saw them around town during our maternity leaves and it was nice to have some familiarity with my peer group.

At the public library you’ll find that a schedule of weekly baby-friendly circle times attracts bigger babies and toddlers. It’s free and you don’t have to talk, so if you’re shy, this might be a good Rookie Mom challenge to which to commit yourself. Just try to smile at the other moms and go back the next week.

MOPS is a faith-based mom’s group organization with literally thousands of chapters. Focused on moms of preschool aged children, there is a structured mentor system in place, guest speakers, crafts, and more. Find a chapter near you on this page, but first make sure your values align with MOPS because they’re pretty specific.

MOMS Club is another multi-chapter organization. Designed for at-home mothers, the meetings take place on weekdays and welcome moms of all backgrounds and ages of children. Find a chapter on this page. Note that I have not had personal contact with this organization.

Little Gym and other classes for babies that meet weekly. Sign up for a session and interact with the same folks week after week. Familiarity helps break the ice. Little Gym, whose classes start at 4 months, has a location-finder on this page. My Gym, a similar franchise, has a class called Little Bundles that goes from 4 weeks to 6 months.

Expectant moms organizations. ClubMomMe and the Bump Club were both founded to help brand-new moms make new mom friends. We love it! They host expectant mom dinners, guest speakers, and other social events. Find them in major metro areas, catering to the sophisticated city mom.

If you’ve already scored mom friends outside of your existing friends circle, we’re curious: Where did you meet? LIKE this post if you met at one of the places on this list!

What wowed me was the women’s confidence that what they had discovered as a problem-solving device was so compelling that they needed to invest all of their time and energy into producing and marketing their product. I related to it, on one hand, because that’s how I felt when Heather and I began writing down ideas to inspire outings for new moms. “Everyone must read about our experiences! It should be a blog! A book!” On the other hand, I thought, I want to roll around in the chutzpah of these women, because they have a lot of it. A lot of follow through. A lot of energy.

Without further ado, here are the three mom-o-vations by which I was impressed.

PsiBands by Romy Taormina

Adjustable plastic wristbands that place pressure on the acupressure point that alleviates nausea, Psi Bands were inspired by Romy’s own experience with severe morning sickness. Backed by numerous double blind studies across different sources of nausea — morning sickness, chemotherapy, motion sickness, post-operative nausea — I’m a believer. I gave the set she offered me at the event to my mom, who undergoes chemotherapy on a regular basis, and I bought a second set at my local pharmacy, and had my 8-year old use them on a road trip during which he normally complains of car sickness. No complaints! Find them at Toys R Us, Whole Foods, and at numerous other retailers. Here’s a link to the product on Amazon.

Romy says, “I always knew I wanted to run my own business, but had no idea that months of debilitating nausea would lead me there! I discovered the positive effects of using acupressure wrist bands to alleviate my nausea after experiencing numerous months of terrible morning sickness during my two pregnancies. Dissatisfied with existing products on the market that I felt were drab and uncomfortable, I hatched the idea for Psi Bands, an FDA-cleared product that is both fashionable and functional for others who suffer from nausea.”

Happy Changer by Erin Kelly

A one-size-fits-all-squirmy-babies product that is attached to the changing pad, Happy Changer is a washable vest of sorts that is designed to hold babies in place during diaper changes. Happy Changers come in flannel or minky. Inventor mom Erin was frustrated with her baby rolling over as she changed her diaper and created a prototype of this vest on her own sewing machine. When her second child entered preschool, she decided to buckle down and bring her product to the public.

You know how when you throw a blanket over the infant car seat, it keeps sliding off? Alma Moussa solved this problem by designing a blanket with a strategically placed hole so that you can grab the carseat handle and the blanket will stay on. Even better, throw it over your head and it’s a nursing cover! At the panel discussion, this inventor mom told us that the first time she left the house with her self-designed blanket contraption, every single mom she encountered between her car and the pediatrician appointment to which she was headed asked her where to buy the product. That’s how she knew it was a business waiting to happen.

In fact, her blanket has six unique purposes.

“Growing up I never dreamed of having my own business,” says Alma. “Now though, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve got the best of both worlds – being a full time SAHM (stay at home mom) and being a business owner. I work my own hours albeit nearly 24×7 and everyday I learn something new while making some mistakes along the way…10 years in the management consulting software business abruptly cut short by a layoff gave me the inspiration for Babee Covee once I became a Mom myself.”

As part of a partnership with Philips AVENT, I attended a super amazing event in Los Angeles last month. The Biggest Baby Shower is an expo-style event where attendees pay for tickets to access a beautiful room stuffed to the gills with the stuff a pregnant woman needs to know about in her first year of motherhood. Stylish baby gear and opportunities to win fabulous prizes greeted guests at every turn. I probably said, “Wow!” twenty times.

I was helping the Philips AVENT team introduce their new double electric Comfort Breast Pump to expectant moms; the space we created was an oasis that included free massages and comfy chairs to take a break from walking the floor. We also talked about breasts. I won’t lie: it does get a little awkward to talk breast pumping with a man who is not yet on the other side of the childbirth experience.

The ballroom space offered moms a chance to check out strollers, baby carriers, designer high chairs, and cribs. Resource providers, such as LA baby coach Jenni June, Urban Sitter, and giggle — along with a bajillion cupcake bakeries — were on hand to introduce themselves to the pregnant women and woo them with free samples.

I’m not even kidding you guys, there was a red carpet entrance and a crapload of awesome gift bags.

It was simply adorable to see all the guests sporting their round bellies. Partners walked alongside, carrying bags, dutifully listening to marketing folks explain the features and benefits of all the baby gear.

So what does one say to an expectant rookie mom who has arrived at such an event?

I felt pressure to strike the right tone, to be positive, encouraging, and also useful without being scary. I mean what’s the point of telling someone that childbirth is excruciatingly painful? There’s no way around it. We may as well focus on the cupcakes.

Should I say, “Look, you don’t need all this stuff in advance. The price of your stroller does not reflect your love for your baby.” Or say, “Here are ten things I learned in the first month that I want to pass on to you, ” and risk that she can hardly understand what I’m saying and will come away feeling overwhelmed? Or maybe the startled-looking pregnant woman doesn’t even share my values and will be 100% fine going in another direction without my guidance.

Ignorance is bliss. And so are cupcakes. (Did I mention the cupcakes?)

I am extra cautious when talking to pregnant strangers whom I truly, sincerely want to help. Multiply that by 500. Certain factors impact each woman’s experience of early motherhood, but I can’t guess where a new mom lands on the spectrum without getting to know her better. Here are the obstacles that prevent me from doling out buckets of unsolicited advice:

Support system. I don’t know how much support she’ll have at home. Is she single? Does her husband travel a lot for work? Will they have hired help? Does her mother live in town?

Work situation. I don’t know if she’ll be back at work within 6 weeks, 6 months, or ever. One adorable woman I talked to had already given birth. She was wearing her 11-day old in a Baby Bjorn carrier and said she had already worked a few shifts at the restaurant where she was a waitress.

Shopping preferences. Does buying stuff make her feel good? Some of us like to acquire beautiful things, gadgets, or just get a little head start in providing for the baby to practice feeling like a parent. Some fear spending money on the wrong things or don’t have room for loads of “stuff”. I can’t tell by looking at your belly if you like to shop or hate to shop.

We tried to write The Rookie Mom’s Handbook so that it would speak to all new moms, and it’s challenging to not start every sentence with “if.”

“If you live in an urban area…”

“If you have a flexible work schedule…”

“If you’re bottle feeding…”

“If your baby sleeps in a crib…”

There are so many different variables! Though I post a lot of tips on this website, when I’m in person with a new mom, I’m actually pretty quiet. I mostly listen to what they say and agree with them. I wait for them to ask me specific questions.

If you have five minutes with a first-time mom-to-be, what do you like to tell her?

I went to the world premiere of the Pixar film Brave in Hollywood last week, and let’s just get one thing straight first: after living in in Los Angeles my entire childhood and finally attending my first RED carpet event 20 years after moving away, the red carpet was green.

photo credit: Disney

See how there are two sides of that rope? I walked on the less important side of it.

I didn’t know what to write about this event that would not make you like me less, so I’m going to stick with the questions that Heather asked me.

Did you buy a new dress?

Nope, I wore a dress I’ve had for 10 years.

How did it feel to be dressed as a fancy person at a movie theater?Was the theater comfy?

The venue was the Dolby Theater where the Oscars are held (recently known as the Kodak Theater). Fancy fancy. There were celebs, paparazzi, and an after party where I couldn’t find a table and ate standing up until my forearm ached.

I love this question, by the way, because when it was happening it felt 100% fine, but looking back I’d say I do prefer not wearing Spanx, a strapless bra, and contact lenses at the movies. But I fit right in, so if that’s what you’re asking, it was all good.

photo cropped in half because otherwise my head would be too small to identify

Who is that dude? (I sent this picture to Heather.)

That is David, who blogs at The Daddy Complex. He was one of 25 other bloggers on the trip. Don’t look at his site right now because he’s also talking about Brave and you might feel overwhelmed. Look at it tomorrow when he’s talking about his twins again. I do give him mad props for wearing a kilt to the event, and look how I treated him like a Scottish prop for my amusement. Sorry, David.

Were you making awkward small talk?

Sometimes, yes. I was envious of the Pixar employees for whom it was really a victory celebration, complete with bagpipe acknowledgements. For me, as a member of the media, it was more like being at the swanky Bar Mitzvah party of someone I didn’t know (growing up in LA, some of the Bar Mitzvahs were pretty fabulous). At one point I ran into the parents of one of Scarlett’s friends, one of whom works at Pixar, so that was a nice surprise.

photo credit: caryn bailey

Inspired by the film’s protagonist, I channeled my fierce independence and wandered off alone to an activity station where you could shoot a bow and arrow. My first shot was a bulls-eye, and my next two were darn close.

Did you see any celebrities?

Yes, I saw many who I couldn’t identify but whose status I understood due to the number of people who were taking their picture. The person I felt the greatest impulse to hug was Angela from The Office. Kevin Nealon would have been a close second, but he had a lady friend with zero body fat linking her sculpted arm to his arm. I saw Allison Janney, too. I said nothing to any of them.

Should I take my kids to see the movie even though it’s PG?

Yes, because I know you are Pixar-obsessed and will not rest until you see it, but since they’re under 8, I think you should read my post Brave: Do kids need a “good” scare? on BabyCenter first.

Every kid has a different tolerance for intensity on the screen and Scarlett and Julian are pretty sensitive. I told them the entire plot already so that they would not be quite as startled during the movie. Julian (7 1/2) wants to go, but Scarlett is going to skip it.

I was treated to this experience by the folks at Disney, and I am one million percent grateful for the opportunity to have been there.

JJ Keith shares some fun-filled toddler and preschooler activities to keep mom having fun in and around Pasadena, CA. She writes the JJust Kidding blog about raising babies in Hollywood (without raising Hollywood babies).

Kasper and Beatrix enjoy the swings

Monday: Explore the Arroyo
Go for a walk in the jog stroller-friendly watershed of the Arroyo Seco (entrance at Norwood Drive and South Arroyo Boulevard) and skip down the 110 to the Audubon Center at Debs Park (4700 North Griffin Avenue; FREE) where they have a miniature arroyo for kids to explore and learn about watersheds. You might want to bring a change of clothes because there’s ample opportunity for romping in the mud.

Exploring the Audobon Center

Tuesday: Sing-Along
Drive a few minutes east of Pasadena to join Mothersong, a family music class in American Legion Hall in Eagle Rock (2109 Merton Ave), where toddlers are free to bang on drums and sing their little hearts out (suggested $5-10 donation, classes are at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.). Afterwards dip on down the street for brunch at the Coffee Table, which features a $5 kids menu and a staff heroically tolerant of toddlers.

Wednesday: Romp in the ParkGarfield Park in South Pasadena (park on Park Street at Mission Street) has a large well-shaded playground with a variety of structures suitable for crawlers through school kids. When the kids have swung and slided themselves out, dip over to Wild Thyme Cafe and Bakery (805 Fair Oaks Avenue) for a crepe or a seared ahi sandwich.

Friday: Story TimeSouth Pasadena Public Library (1100 Oxley Street) has a famously great Friday story toddler time at 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. Once your toddler is storied out you can wear him or her down at Amy’s Playground (1115 Mission Street, $7-9 per child). And bonus: you can get your kid’s hair cut at Amy’s as well.

Saturday: HorticultureDescanso Gardens, just northeast of Pasadena on the 210 in La Cañada Flintridge (1418 Descanso Drive; $8 for adults, $5 for children 5-12), is the ideal place to let your toddler roll around in the leaves. In addition to 150 acres of gardens, woodlands and chaparral, there’s a yummy café and gift shop loaded with kid-friendly goodies.

Sunday: Children’s MuseumKidSpace, located in the west end of Brookside Park (480 North Arroyo Boulevard; $10 per person, children under 12 months free), is the kind of place where you can let your kid go bananas without having to do too much supervision. In addition to indoor play structures and exhibits appropriate for even the wee-est of wee ones, there’s a slew of outdoor water features for sunny day mayhem. You can even bring a swim suit and water shoes and let your kid get soaked the bone in the play pond.

Gina Osher, aka The Twin Coach, shares this lesson about confidence for new moms.

Many women are overwhelmed by parenthood; mothers of multiples are sometimes even more so. After our twins were born, I found myself so afraid to fail at any aspect of motherhood that I simply chose to run from it. I avoided the fear of not knowing what the heck I was doing with our two infants by hiring a pair of doulas. For almost 4 weeks I had constant companionship and help from these two women. On the surface I seemed secure and confident in many areas, but I was terribly afraid to be left alone with our children. I couldn’t figure out how, for the life of me, I was going to do something as complicated as tandem breastfeed without help or, God forbid, leave the house with both children on my own!

Once again, I dodged that bullet by hiring a nanny before our doulas’ last day of work. Being still quite unsure of my own skills as a mother, I ended up hiring someone who took advantage of that. Within a very short time she was taking the babies out without me for long periods of time, saying that I needed rest, which I did, but this also left me feeling totally disconnected from being a mother to my own babies. My fear of not being a good enough mom had me paralyzed. After a few months of this, we found out our nanny had been lying to us about many things and we fired her abruptly. Not only did we not have a nanny to take her place, but we were so gun-shy after the betrayal that I couldn’t see myself being able to trust another stranger with our children.

So now, here I was, alone with two 7-month old babies, no real experience being alone with them and no option but to sink or swim. I had never been out of the house with the two of them on my own and I knew I had to figure out how to do it and fast. Sometimes it requires having your back up against the wall to push yourself to do the things you’re afraid of.

I tackled my biggest challenge – taking both babies outside, unassisted – and started out small. Each little accomplishment felt like a celebratory moment: “I got both kids out of our second-story duplex with all of their gear and buckled into the car”! “I figured out that you can push two of those Step 2 push buggies side by side really easily”! “I took the kids grocery shopping on my own”! The more I did, the more confident I got. Even better than that, the more confident I got the more connected I became, both to my children and to my natural instincts as a mother. I began to understand my children’s moods and gestures; I was able to respond and give them what they needed. To my amazement, I watched our children thrive and change within days of being alone with me. All of my fears had actually boiled down to one: the thought that I wasn’t up to this job as mom of twins. But once I was forced to confront that fear, I saw that not only was I a great mom, but I was actually exactly the mother our son and daughter needed.

With a tight schedule, barking dogs, and a napping baby, it could have been any of our new mommy friends on the quick phone call from which we just hung up. Instead, a few bloggers were lucky to have a chance to chat with Ellen Pompeo from Grey’s Anatomy about her life as a new mom and her role in the Every Little Bottom campaign. She’s joining us to help spread the word about how easy it is to donate diapers and help a mom in need.

Ellen Pompeo distributing diapers at LA Diaper Drive

Jenny from Jenny on the Spot: What motivated you to join the Every Little Bottom program? What is the passion behind your decision?

Ellen Pompeo from Grey’s Anatomy: When Huggies reached out, I didn’t know anything about diaper need. Being a new mother, all I had to hear is that 1 in 3 moms struggle to provide diapers… It’s a staggering statistic. If a big corporation like Huggies can get involved, how can I not do my part?… It was a no-brainer for me. If we can relieve the stress on moms and the stress on babies. It’s a real fixable problem.

Kim from House of Prince: What do you feel is the best way to motivate people to get involved in this campaign?

Ellen: I think the easier we make it for people to get involved the more people are likely, because everyone is busy, especially moms who work. Having these diaper drives where people buy diapers and providing places for people to drop them off would help. Even online with diapers.com, if we have a way to make it as easy as possible for people because people are super busy.

Rookie Moms: What do you like to do when you aren’t working and you are taking care of baby Stella?

Ellen: Our favorite things to do are swimming in the pool and going to mommy and me yoga. Sometimes the yoga schedule doesn’t fit with her nap time, but on the days when the class is earlier we go and we love that.

I guess the only thing that really differentiated this call from a call with my friend Crystal in Chicago was when Ellen had to dart off to go tape the Ellen Show. Ellen P helped distribute diapers at the LA Diaper Drive last week and is also co-hosting a celebrity diaper drive in New York City that will inspire many to donate diapers and solve this fixable problem.

Inspired by Whitney, Lisa, Huggies, and now Ellen Pompeo, I’ll be kicking off my own diaper drive in Berkeley next week. I’ll also tell you how you can do it too!

Yes, I’m endorsing a product/service here. No, I am not being paid to do so. It’s called Music Together and two past experiences made me decide to recommend this activity.

Several of my friends had done Music Together for three consecutive “semesters” and then decided to skip a semester. During that period we met at the park during the time that many of us used to do Music Together and Sarah was saying how much she missed it, couldn’t wait til it started up again, and that not doing it made her see how much she values it. Our park-based playdate was simply filling the hole in her life left by abstaining from Music Together.

Ok, so Sarah (hearts) Music Together. Her enthusiasm made me think hard about how I feel about it. I had been thinking that it’s just too expensive, and then I decided that I agree with Sarah.

Later that day, I read that most North American families only know two or three songs to sing to their children when they are born, and one of them is often 99 Bottles of Beer. And here’s where I relate to how much value you get out of these classes. From Music Together, my husband and I have learned countless songs in that can be sung and re-sung in different ways. The class is designed to teach you, the parent, how to incorporate music into your kid’s life.* Each song can be changed around to include your kid’s name, interests or description of the activities you’re doing. Our teacher, Ryk, also gives great advice on using music to distract while diaper changing or putting on shoes. People, it works.

Julian was obsessed with the CDs that come with the class. He begged for us to put them on and then, as a baby even, would smile and wave when he heard the first song.

*The class is not about building music skills in your kid. In fact, they are welcome to sit absolutely still and silent. The parent or caregiver is the one participating. The theory is that you can develop musical interest and enthusiasm in children by enabling them to watch you have fun with sounds, songs and instruments. Given that we don’t have community music experiences in this culture, our kids will not pick up songs to pass down to their kids unless we make it happen.

We were already fans of the Wii for new parents long before we heard of Wii Fit. But now, geeking out with video games and trying to be fit shredheads with Jillian are two great tastes that taste great together. Thanks to Sports Authority, we’re giving away one Wii Fit Plus Board and Jillian Michaels’ new fitness game.

Sports Authority is opening up a new Wii Fit area of their store, called the Wii Fit Plus experience, where you can go and try out some of the games. Moms having more fun? We couldn’t agree more!

If you’re anywhere near the Sports Authority in Torrance, CA on Thursday morning, Jillian Michaels will be there in person whipping folks into shape and giving away video games. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. and runs all morning.

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This sweepstakes is closed.

Be on the lookout for a second chance to win a Wii Fit Plus Board in two weeks!

—-We were not paid to write this announcement or administer this contest. Unfortunately, we’re not eligible to win it either. Gah!

When Julian was a baby, four years ago, we were having lunch in Beverly Hills on vacation one day, and the restaurant happened to have some Squapples – an organic squash and apple puree – on hand. I was intrigued of course, as a newly obsessed-with-all-things-baby mom. I was impressed with the food, and it was a local-to-LA brand called Homemade Baby.

So L.A. parents, did you know that Homemade Baby on Jefferson has a “tasting room” open on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm? You can have your baby try free samples of their food. They also have special events with chefs and nutritionists. Sounds like a great mom’s group outing, to me, but alas, we do not live nearby. (Email this post to your LA friends.)

If you’re not in LA, you can still plan a sampling event with some baby-toting friends. Create your own tasting menu. Each parent brings a puree: either a homemade dish or one of the many boutique brands now available in the freezer section of your fancy, expensive grocery store whose name we will not mention.
Are you reading suspiciously? Please know that I do not know anyone at Homemade Baby, and no one asked me to write this. I simply like their product. In fact, I think my kids would have liked it even more if it was pears and squash instead of apples and squash. But then would they have called it Squears?